| Summary : Underground railway station, opened on 8th August 1898 by the Waterloo and City Railway. The City and South London Railway's extension to Moorgate on 25 February 1900 provided an intermediate station at Bank. At Bank, Sir Nicholas Hawksmoor's church of 1727 had been acquired by the railway company for demolition, but when it sought renewal of construction rights the authorities insisted that the church be preserved. Engineers Sir Benjamin Baker, David Hay and Basil Mott with architect Sidney RJ Smith carried out the complex works of underpinning the structure and building a sub-surface station with upper lift landings partly where the crypt had been. A subway was provided to the Central London Railway's Bank Station. On King William Street against the side of the church Smith built a granite and Portland stone facade with classical detailing, including the reclining figure of Mercury. On 30th July 1900 the Central London Railway opened its station at Bank serving as the eastern terminus of the line from Shepherds Bush. The Northern Line platforms closed in November 1932 until November 1934 for enlargement of the running tunnels. At the same time the Central Line ticket hall was reconstructed and several new entrances made at street level. In September 1933 and escalator link to Monument was established and in October 1940 the Waterloo and City Line station was renamed Bank. A travelator between the Waterloo and City platforms and the main underground ticket hall opened in September 1960. From the late 1980s until the late 1990s all the original Central and Northern Line finishes were replaced as part of a major restoration scheme which also saw Bank becoming the western terminus of the Docklands Light Railway. |